I'll Tell You a Secret and You'll Take It To Your Grave, Okay?
by SimplePassion
Summary: A villain is supposed to be cruel and a hero kind. Todorki isn't cruel, not really for a villain, and Bakugou isn't kind, not in a way one would think. Each story has a beginning. This was theirs. A story on how they became friends, and how it falls apart.


Summary: A villain is supposed to be cruel and a hero kind. Todorki isn't cruel, not really for a villain, and Bakugou isn't kind, not in a way one would think. Each story has a beginning. This was theirs. A story on how they became friends, and how it falls apart.

AU, where Todoroki is a villain under Endeavor and Bakugou is the regular hero in training.

Warnings: Major Character Death, offscreen torture, angst abound (as I've been told on ao3), cussing

* * *

Todoroki Shouto is pissed and everyone knows it.

His father's acquaintances give him a wide berth, casting nervous glances among each other as they gather their necessities. He taps his fingers on the bar, not in impatience but in irritation. Not at the second-rate villains hurrying to finish the preparations but at his father himself, always the main source of Todoroki's woes.

Locate, snatch, and bolt.

That is Todoroki's duty in the middle of April, when it's prime time to attend Bunkyo Azalea Festival. He's not out in Nedujinja Shrine observing the thousands of flowers like he wanted and requested months ago. No, he's playing an errand boy again.

What an annoyance.

He takes out the piece of paper and squint at the scribbles his father wrote down. The first line, which must be a name, is entirely illegible. The second line does not fare better. Short? It must say short.

The third line: red something. Shoes? Or does it say shirt?

There is a description of their hero costume. At least that is perfectly legible. Just one phrase: an utter embarrassment.

The following words were not in his father's usual scribbles but in neat, bolded print: "powerful quirk", "strong offense", "avoid direct contact from quirk."

Todoroki tchs and lights the paper on fire. He gotten all he could from the scribbles. Staring at it won't further his understanding.

Kurogiri approaches him from behind, coughing to get his attention. "Todoroki-sama, we're ready to depart."

"Drop the sama, Kurogiri-san. It's just Todoroki," he says, sliding off the stool. He tucks his hands into his pockets and stares at the giant, brain-opened thing standing beside his father's latest acquaintance, a rather weirdly dressed man with detached hands on every part of his body.

"So, this is Noumu?" Todoroki asks. The thing didn't move his head, didn't blink in acknowledgement at his name. __It's weird,__ he thinks.

Shigaraki nods. He's eyeing Todoroki with caution. "Yes, this is the one that will kill All Might."

 _ _Kill All Might, huh?__ Todoroki wants to scoff. __My father has been trying since I was alive.__

"Well, tell me how that goes. I have to report back as soon as I have my objective. Kurogiri, Endeavor gave you the location, right?"

The black mist nods immediately and Todoroki says solemnly with a turn of his head, "All right, let's go."

* * *

Kurogiri drops him off right behind the students, unnoticed, their attention entirely focused on Eraserhead as he takes on Shigaraki's lackey. Quietly, Todoroki treads up to Thirteen and places a hand on the back, freezing the hero in an instance.

The fledglings bursts into screams, all scrambling away from him and their frozen block of an instructor. Some are in shock, some shake in terror, and some shift into a battle stance. But Todoroki couldn't care less about that. He eyes each student, going through the mental checklist in his mind.

There's a red haired boy. He's subtly moving to stand in front of his classmates and the classmates seem to unconsciously move behind him. _ _His hair is red but he's too tall. Then again, my father is massive. What is short to him could be taller than me.__

Another boy caught his eye. A green-haired man in a green costume with large, protruding rabbit-like ears. It matches the tastes his father would deem as "an utter embarrassment." No, that's the perfect word for his costume. An embarrassment.

Then there's a girl in a red hero costume, hair pulled into a high ponytail. She flinches under Todoroki's stare. __That's also a costume my father would deem an embarrassment.__

No matter. The best way to find his target— __powerful quirk, strong offense__ — would be to engage in a physical battle.

Todoroki closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. The familiar feeling of coldness creeps into his right hand, waiting at his fingertips, eager to be released. (In the back, his left side itches, burns in response.) His eyes snap open and zeroes in on one student, his best guess, the green-haired, wide-eyed boy and moves to sweep his hand in an upwards arc—

"You fucker!"

Todoroki freezes as a blob of raven black, navy green, and obnoxious red shoots towards him with an outreached hand. He sees the gloved palm brighten like a nightlight and Todoroki isn't dumb. He knows what this means and he leaps back as the palm explodes and smothering smoke envelops him. It blinds his vision causing Todoroki to curse. __This was their plan. To have the explosion quirk user create a set of smokescreen where they can facilitate their escape under its cover.__

 _ _They take me too lightly. This won't deter me in the slightest.__

He braces himself and is about to charge through the smoke when the same blob comes charging out of the smoke, profanities flying from his mouth a mile a minute.

 _ _Oh.__

 _ _Maybe that wasn't their plan.__

The explosion-quirk user yells, angrily, as he thrusts his hand forward. Todoroki leans right, the explosion's recoil burning his back and left his ears ringing. He latches his right hand onto the exposed forearm. Ice crawls along the arm in seconds and Todoroki expects the usual panic to get away, but there was none of that.

A pair of red, burning eyes stares back at him. There was no fear in those crazed eyes. Just fire.

And Todoroki pauses.

In a single, strong pull, the boy pulls his arm free and thrusts a hand into Todoroki's right shoulder.

There is a scream, "Die!" and the palm ignites.

Todoroki has his fair shares of burns in his lifetime, but this was the first one that __hurts__ and __burns__ so damn much. It must be the proximity that's the cause. Todoroki stumbles back and a grunt of pain escapes his lips. Without hesitation, the boy kicks him in the chest, slamming his foot down till he was flat on his back and staring up at the ashe blonde. There is a satisfied smirk on the explosion-user's face.

"Kac-Kacchan!" Someone screams from behind the still clearing smoke, "Come on! Let's go!"

"Shut up, Deku. I'm finishing up here." And the explosion user smiles, all feral and crazed and it make Todoroki thinks of his father. With his bloodthirsty smirk and blood-driven eyes, all he sees is him. __They're the same.__

"I win."

Todoroki's right arm twitches and mercilessly the ash-blond slams a foot down on his wrist.

"Don't even think about it." He grinds down with his boots and Todoroki holds back a grunt. Weakness is never to be shown, especially to the enemy. Something his father had ingrained personally into his mind.

He tilts his head up and glares, "I win? You're pretty cocky, aren't you?"

"Consider yourself lucky I didn't blow your entire shoulder off," he spats. Todoroki notices he's watching his free hand pretty closely. Smart, _ _but you don't know what my left side can do. Even so…__

Todoroki bends his knee, the knife on his knee pad clicking into place with a loud clack. For the boy's credit, he didn't flinch, didn't even waste a second. Quickly, more quickly than Todoroki would think of for a person in his situation, he leaps to the side but Todoroki was quicker and his knife slashes thigh flesh. He grunts in pain and Todoroki leaps to his feet. He pushes past the pain and lifts his right hand, placing it over the blond's hands and freezing them together. He pulls away, saying, "Like I said. Cocky. You'll lose your hands before you break out of my ice. I wouldn't try it if I were you."

The boy only gives him a single, sharp glare before proceeding to twist over back and forth with his bindings.

Todoroki stands to his feet and pats his hands. He looks over to the other students, all with varying amounts of shock on their faces. Whispers flit among them.

"Guys, he took down Bakugou so easily."

"But Bakugou is the strongest...Midoriya, what do we do know?"

"Oh my god, he's looking this way. We're next. We're all going to die."

 _ _The strongest…__

Todoroki glances down at him. Red eyes, a solid offense, a strong quirk with enough force that could kill if directed at important organs, hero costume...well, it's not what Todoroki would call an embarrassment but his father's tastes is different from him. And he's short. Shorter than him at least.

"Kurogiri, I got my target," Todoroki says into his earpiece.

"Roger. On my way."

The boy is screaming, telling him to "fucking die and eat shit," with hands exploding and Todoroki frowns, applying another layer. The way he structure the restraint is to keep the explosion contained. His hands must be getting damaged extensively. He doesn't know the state his father wants the student, but it's better to be safe and keep the damage to a minimum.

He debates for a second whether he should or not, but something about the blond screams "I'm a cocky bastard" like his father and Todoroki will do __anything__ to take his father down a notch so the smug words fell from his lips, "I win."

The look of rage in those scarlet eyes are worth it Todoroki thinks as he places a hard punch in the stomach. The boy groans and slumps over his hands. In front of him, a black mist swirls and expands.

One of the cowering students steps towards them. Todoroki turns around fully to glare at him, the green-haired one. He's yelling, mouth agape and calling his friend's name __Kacchan, Kacchan!__

But Todoroki creates an ice wall between them and steps into the mist.

* * *

Todoroki drags the boy through his father's lair and dumps him at his father's feet.

For a second, all his father did was stare at Kacchan and Kacchan glares back at Endeavor with unyielding eyes. Then he turns his glaring eyes to Todoroki. "You got the wrong student."

 _ _Shit.__

"Well, you should have given me better details," Todoroki snaps back.

His father grunts and turns away, "You failed me, Shouto. I gave you the simplest mission and you fail."

Todoroki bites his tongue, holding back the words he want to say, instead opting for, "What do you want me to do with him?"

"Kill him. Keep him. Feed him to the dogs, I couldn't care less."

And Todoroki looks down at Kacchan and Kacchan glares up at Todoroki. He's saying something through the gag but Todoroki wasn't paying attention and drags the boy by the collar. He pulls him to the their underground dungeon and opens one of the numerous cellars they have to contain prisoners.

Unceremoniously, Todoroki pushes a struggling blond into the room. "I'll deal with you in the morning. Your wound isn't bad. I'll treat it when I come back. Oh, and the walls are made of titanium, you won't break out of here. So don't try." Then he slams the door shut behind him and locks it with a click.

* * *

'The walls are made of titanium, you won't break out of here. So don't try.'

What part of these words does not make sense?

For the past three hours, Todoroki listens to his father's lair shake and vibrate in his room. It's making sulking difficult. Very, very difficult. After the 12th time his bonsai plant was rocked from its spot on the nightstand, Todoroki puts down his laptop and stands. He marches down to the cellar, grumbling all the way.

Three things happen when he opens the cellar door.

One, the prisoner was missing.

Two, he should have really checked inside before opening.

And three, a mass of white tackles him from the side. Hands pulls at his hair harshly and it annoys Todoroki. He lifts a hand and has every intention of freezing the boy until he dies from hypothermia, but he leaps from his range, screeching, "You got me once before, fuckface. You won't get me again."

Then he's on the other side of the door with a shit-eating grin. He pulls the door shut and there is a click. From the other side, he mocks, "Its made of titanium, you won't break out of here. So don't try."

And he's laughing. He's laughing and Todoroki sees red.

It takes him exactly 15 minutes to melt the titanium cage.

5 minutes to find the bastard.

And 1 minute to completely ice him.

* * *

Todoroki writes in his laptop. There's a consistent thumping across his room, but he ignores it. It seems to make him angrier and Todoroki decides he likes making him angry. He could handle the noise if the recipient is the one getting irritated. Eventually Todoroki has enough. He stands, stretching with arms over his head. He strolls over to his locked up prisoner.

"Hey, you hungry?" Todoroki asks with his characteristic poker face.

His prisoner spat, "Why the hell am I here with you?" He pulls on his shackles with fiecoricity. They didn't give and the hand brackets containing his explosions didn't either. The cut on his thigh stopped bleeding long ago and the gauze applied a few hours ago remains white.

Todoroki shrugs. "Because I destroyed the cell and I don't kill people. I'm not that type of villain. So are you hungry?"

"No, you burn people to the point where their limbs are gone. I heard the tales, 'Molten Ice.'" Todoroki stiffens at his 'villain' name. Kacchan continues, "You're no better than your damn father. I rather starve than eat anything you give me."

Todoroki looks down for a moment at Kacchan. He's been told his stares are enough to make the most hardened criminal squirm. Kacchan for his credit didn't squirm. "Suit yourself." He left the room and comes back with soba and indulges himself. He pretends he didn't hear the grumbles from the other person in the room.

Watching his prisoner watch him is pitiful.

* * *

He's prideful is the first thing Todoroki comes to know.

He fake snores lightly, listening to the quiet scuffle of spoon scraping the bottom of the bowl Todoroki left out hours before.

And not stupid is the second thing Todoroki comes to know.

"Next time don't give someone a spoon to eat soba."

* * *

Sometime later when Kacchan isn't glaring angrily at him and Todoroki isn't taunting him, he asks, "This your room?"

And he looks around, at the low table in the center, his simple dresser to the right, the stove and fridge to the left, and his bed up north.

Nothing seems wrong.

"Yeah, it is."

"The design is awful."

* * *

Kacchan first broke out using two paper clips he kicks towards himself on the floor.

Todoroki wouldn't have cared.

If he didn't fell on top of him while he was sleeping and bash his restraints on his head.

Several times.

Purposely.

Todoroki sent him flying with a kick, pulls him by the wrist to his shackles, chain him up again, and pull the covers back over his head.

* * *

They have a working relationship based on mutual understanding that Kacchan wants to leave and Todoroki wants to sleep. As long as Kacchan is quiet in his attempt escapes, Todoroki doesn't stop him.

It's a great relationship if Kacchan knew how to keep quiet.

"God damn it!"

Todoroki groans from his bed, nap disrupted, and walks over to Kacchan. He snatches the pin in his mouth and pulls the other pin from the keyhole.

Kacchan glares at him. "You little fucker. Give that back."

And Todoroki would yawn and go back to bed.

* * *

He is in his room again, scrolling mindlessly on his laptop. Kacchan glares at him from his spot on the floor. Todoroki glances at him. Their eyes met and hold for three seconds. Then Todoroki looks back to his laptop and that appears to irk Kacchan because he growls, "So all day you just scroll the internet?"

"No, I also train."

"I can't believe this is what Molten Ice do in his spare time," he grumbles and Todoroki sighs, closing his laptop.

He turns towards Kacchan. "What do you think I do in my spare time?"

And Kacchan frowns. He didn't say anything and Todoroki went back to scrolling.

Maybe keeping the prisoner in his room wasn't such a good idea.

Kacchan is undeservingly smart with keen observation skills. It's hard to believe one so crude and vulgar could be so intelligent.

One of the maids his father hired knocks on his door, saying the cursed phrase, "Todoroki-sama?"

He grits his teeth and opens the door, "Drop the sama. It's Todoroki. What do you need?"

"Father Todoroki requests your presence."

"Alright, I'll be right there." He looks back at Kacchan sitting quietly, rubbing the hand brackets together. Their gazes met. His eyes were pensive and Todoroki wonders what that means. Whatever. He got business to attend to. "Be a good boy and don't break anything."

The look of irritation leaves a satisfying feeling.

* * *

Todoroki knocks on his father's door with one hand, the other holding a teapot and cup. The door glows red with Endeavor's insignia. Todoroki opens the door and steps into his father's office. His father sat on his desk chair, back towards him as he watched the news. He places the tea on his desk, his only acknowledgement being a grunt.

"What is it?"

"Shouto, that student you captured, what is his name?"

"I'm not sure. His friends call him Kacchan, but that may be a nickname."

"Look at the news, Shouto. U.A. is in a state of chaos. Hah, supposedly that child is somewhat important. I guess you're not a failure after all."

And Todoroki watches the screen, how All Might vows he'll find "Bakugou Katsuki."

It flashes to outside the school. The cameraman turns to a student caught unluckily trying to sneak past. The reporter shoves the mic in his unwilling face, asking him questions without a moment's pause. It makes him feel bad for him. The wide-eyed boy is clearly uncomfortable to the attention and pushiness being thrusted on him.

Todoroki squints. That student looks vaguely familiar.

A girl runs up beside the boy. "Deku-kun," she said with worry. She fixes an icy glare at the journalists and Todoroki predicts she was about to tell them off but the student holds her back. He smiles reassuring at her.

Then he turns to the journalist, "Kacchan, wherever you are, we're looking for you. Don't be scared. We'll save you."

And Deku smiles.

* * *

He should have known the instant he comes into the room and sees Kacchan with the same shit-eating grin he had when he escaped that something was on. Todoroki gives him a cautious look. His hands are still locked up. He's sitting by his table. Just sitting. There's no visible trap. Cautiously, he walks over to him . "What's with the smile?" he akss.

"Nothing," he answers. The smile didn't drop.

Todoroki narrows his eyes but he sits down across from Bakugou. As soon as Todoroki settles, Kacchan smiles wider, leans in close, and says, " _ _Todoroki-sama,"__

 _ _Oh god, he knows. Don't let him show it bothers you, Shouto. Keep it together.__ "What is it?"

"Todoroki sama. Todoroki-sama. Todoroki-sama," he repeats over and over.

He snaps in the end. "All you got is me. Piss me off and I might just leave you to die,"

" _ _Todoroki-sama__ ," he says again, sneering.

"Stop that."

"Why, __Todoroki-sama__?"

"It annoys me, so stop."

" _ _Todoroki-sama__."

"You're annoying, __Kacchan__. Shut up," Todoroki said, addressing him with a name for the first time.

His eye twitches, but continues with the charade nonetheless. "Make me, __Todoroki-sama__."

It infuriates Todoroki beyond belief. Nobody ever had the gall to mess with him and here's the prisoner, the prickly and vulgar prisoner, purposely enraging him.

Kacchan takes the opportunity and rushes forward, attempting to put Todoroki in a headlock. But with the speed and power he's known for, he flips Kacchan onto his back, pressing his left hand over his chest. It smokes slightly, not enough to burn but enough to tingle. Todoroki leans forward, till he's eye to eye with Kacchan. "You know what I do to people. Why are you pissing me off?"

"You don't scare me."

And he's is looking back at him with bold, non-fearing eyes. He's not backing down and something warm lights itself in Todoroki's chest.

* * *

Later, when nobody is on top of somebody and Todoroki is on his futon, eyes closed but not sleeping and Kacchan is on the ground too, shackles long enough so his arms doesn't hang up, Todoroki asks, "What do you want to be called? Kacchan or Bakugou?"

And Kacchan scoffs. He didn't answer.

Todoroki decides on Bakugou.

Kacchan is too cute for someone like him.

* * *

They hang out now.

Hang out...was that the word? Google is not clear about what this should be called.

What Todoroki knows is that he has no missions, Bakugou is still in his room, and they talk sometimes over dinner and lunch. Most was over Todoroki's apparently disgusting dining skills. That he needs to hold his chopstick a certain way, that his free hand shouldn't be typing on his laptop while eating, or that soba shouldn't have a place in every meal.

When he was alone, all of it was fine but he supposes there are mannerisms he hadn't had the thought to google. Note taken. Google table manners when he is free.

But they talk.

Does that count as hanging out?

* * *

Sometimes Bakugou would go into quiet contemplation. He would rest his chin on the dining table and stare at him. It's not unnerving. Todoroki is used to people looking at him. Whether it be his hair, split perfectly down the middle, or his eyes, one brown and one ice blue.

Bakugou only stares when Todoroki doesn't stare back. When he does, Bakugou's eyes snap away.

So Todoroki just scrolls on his laptop, reading a post about proper table manners in Japan, while ignoring Bakugou's blatant staring.

"Hey, sour cream."

And Todoroki couldn't hold in the snort. "Sour cream?"

"Do you like your dad?"

"He's my dad."

"Where's your mom?"

"She left when I was born."

"Your dad seems like an asshole."

"He is."

"So why do you follow him?"

"He's my father."

"Is that code for fucking something?"

And sometimes Todoroki wishes Bakugou wasn't so smart.

* * *

Bakugou thinks he's stupid. Todoroki can see it in his eyes.

"Are you fucking stupid?" He vocalizes too.

And Todoroki shrugs, letting the last shackles click open and fall with a thump to the ground. "I don't see a point to having you tied up."

Todoroki can protect himself just fine. The maids can as well. __There poses no danger with having Bakugou running around__ , he thought as Bakugou flexes his hands and gapes at him incredulously.

* * *

When Bakugou ask him how long he been here, Todoroki doesn't know. He could have been here for a week, a month. His laptop has been modified by his father. There's no way for him to see the time or date.

Bakugou doesn't argue with him on that, instead opening his door and peeking outside. He shuts the door and looks at Todoroki. His face is twisted like bile is rising and he's holding it back.

It's not a good face and Todoroki inches away in case there is bile coming out.

"Help me get out of here," he finally grits out.

Todoroki frowns. "I don't know how to get out."

And Bakugou gives him a look. "You don't? Seriously?"

He doesn't believe him. Well, he'll found out for real when he goes out looking. He could prepare tea to calm his nerves when Bakugou eventually comes back defeated.

Bakugou sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Shit. This is so fucking ridiculous. Why don't we go looking together?"

And Todoroki jolts, a hot, prickly feeling in his chest. Nobody ever ask him to do something together.

When he speaks, his voice squeaks. Bakugou gives him another look and Todoroki clears his throat. His cheeks burn slightly and he turn to the side. "I tried for years. There's no way out."

"Let's go, sour cream. I want to see for myself."

Then he's leaving and Todoroki hurries to follow by his side.

* * *

They didn't find an exit.

Bakugou broke a door.

* * *

Something bugs him since he first took Bakugou in.

When Todoroki thinks of a hero, he thinks of compassion. He thinks of reassuring smiles and a caring soul. Bakugou is not very caring, his smiles strike more fear and reassurance. To Todoroki, Bakugou is a thousand more times better suited as a personal fitness coach or military commander than a hero. "Bakugou, why do you want to be a hero?"

"Cause." He looks at him from his spot on the ground. "All Might is a hero." He hears admiration.

"I see."

Then Bakugou is getting up. He lays his arms on the table. "Hey, sour cream. Let me ask you, why are a villain?"

"Because my father is a villain." Not admiration.

"Were you kidnapped? Brainwashed? Forced?" Bakugou presses.

"No, none of that. I'm doing this because I want too." __Because my father expects me too.__

"You don't act like a villain."

"And you don't act like a hero," Todoroki shots back.

"At least I have a reasoning to be a hero. You don't have anything."

Todoroki grits his teeth. He does have a reason. __His father__. But he couldn't say it out loud. And they fell into silence again.

* * *

He wakes up to knocking on his door and his maid's quiet, "Todoroki-sama." He pushes his covers out and stumble in the semi-dark, his only light source being the fish nightlight to the side. Todoroki opens the door and is passed a paper hurriedly. By the time, his eyes focus all he is staring at is empty space. Todoroki closes his door and stares at the paper in his hand. It was illegible, the scribbles making out to be "North Wall Cake" which is nonsense.

Bakugou scrambles up from his futon Todoroki had laid out for him, yawning. "What is that?" he asks.

"An order," Todoroki responds.

"An order for what?"

"To get something for father."

Bakugou stares at him. And stares at him and stares at him. "You get to go outside."

Todoroki turns around, not missing the aura emitting from him. Bakugou says again, this time voice caked with distrust, rage, "You get to go outside."

And Todoroki doesn't get the weird feeling in his chest, that he needs to __say something__. It's like he's being questioned, like he's making a wrong choice. "Not by choice. My father opens the gate with his own quirk signature. I can't get in or out without him." Why is he defending himself? Why is he telling Bakugou this?

Bakugou growls, "That doesn't matter. You get to go outside. You're free. You can run, hide. Your father will never find you, yet you come back to him. You come back to live day after day in this shithole until your father needs you again."

Todoroki couldn't say anything, he couldn't not when it's all true.

* * *

It is a quick run to the store for some pool pH modifiers.

He founds the brand his father enjoys and pays for it, making sure the beanie covers the telltale hair.

"Heres your change, 210 yen."

"Thanks." Todoroki pockets the change and exits the store.

210 yen. What can we buy for 210 yen? What kind of snacks do Bakugou likes? He seems like the spicy type. So Todoroki walks aimlessly around the city, searching for a snack store. He kept his right hand tucked into the light jacket he wears while the other holds the bag.

A girl bumps into him from the back. She mumbled a hasty apology before continuing on her way.

Todoroki stares at her departing back, wondering if he should advise U.A. that they should teach their students better espionage skills.

 _ _Because this__ — Todoroki reaches for his back— __this attempt of tracking__ — and crushes the blinking device in his hand— __is pathetic.__

He stares at the device, _ _father would be furious if I come back with visitors,__ and tosses the remains into the trash can.

* * *

When he comes back, Bakugou is in his futon, facing the wall. He didn't acknowledge him. But the rustling of plastic caught his attention. He looked over his shoulder to find Todoroki offering him a bag of chips. "Sorry," was written on a post-it note and stick to the front.

Bakugou accepts the chip, looking at it for one second before tossing the bag at Todoroki, landing it squarely on the head.

"YOU DAMN FUCKER, YOU'RE EVEN ALLOWED TO BUY FOOD! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? I'LL KILL YOU."

* * *

Todoroki biggest mistake is eating with Bakugou everyday.

Google tells him this is an 'intervention'.

"Sit the fuck down, Sour Cream. I'm cooking you some food. You can't eat soba every fucking day."

And Todoroki frowns, clinging his soba close to his chest. "It's good." He says defensively.

Bakugou holds out his hand. "Give me the bowl."

And Todoroki shakes his head, clinging his soba more closer and more tighter. "No."

A vein pops on his head. "Stop pouting and give me the bowl."

"No."

"Give it to me."

"No."

"Give it."

"No."

Then Bakugou is vaulting over the table, hands outreached, a scary screech from his scary face. Todoroki rolls back and let Bakugou fly over him. He stands up the same time Bakugou got up.

"Give it."

Todoroki's only response was to cling his soba closer.

They continue this chase and run for 10 minutes before Bakugou eventually pins Todoroki on the ground, knees on either side of his hips and one hand trapping his hands together while the other ripping his precious soba from his hand. Bakugou grins victoriously over him, waving his soba over his face tauntingly. "It's time for you to eat some real food, not this fucking junk."

But Todoroki couldn't focus. Not when his heart is going a thousand beats a minute because __that's a really nice smile, he's got a nice face.__

* * *

And when it is just them, sitting across and cross leg on his table, him munching on his food and Bakugou proudly commenting on 'how damn good' his cooking is, Todoroki says it. "Katsuki, can we be friends?"

He snaps his eyes to him. "Hah? What you say?"

"Can we be friends?" Todoroki says again.

"Fuck no. I don't make friends."

He doesn't make friends. Meaning he doesn't make any friends. It's not just him. It's not him. But when he hears those words, his head droops.

Bakugou looks at him with alarm. "Fuck. What the fuck is that face for? You're a villain, aren't you? Act like one."

And he couldn't help it. He's tired of being called that, even it is true, he doesn't want to be called that anymore.

"I don't want to be a villain."

* * *

The silence is deafening. Bakugou just looks at him. There's no emotions on his face. None at all. He just grabs his tea, chug it down in one drink, and set it down gently. He sighs and rest his head on a hand, not looking at him in the face.

"Todoroki."

"No, Todoroki-sama?" he says.

It was more of an honest question, but Bakugou snaps at him nonetheless, a hand slamming down on his table. "Shut up, dickface. I thought about what you said about us being friends and fine. Let's be friends."

"What changed your mind?" he asks earnestly.

Bakugou looks to the door, voice lowered to a whisper. "You're in the same boat I am, aren't you? You don't want to be here."

Bakugou looks at him, as if expecting him to say something and Todoroki's mind blank. He say the first thing that came to mind. "My first name is Shouto."

There was a moment of silence.

And Bakugou leans back in his arms, shot him a cocky smirk. "Shouto-sama."

Todoroki snorts, giggles, chuckles, hand raising to cover his laughs from becoming too loud. He misses the shocked look on Bakugou's face as he rests his head on his table.

He has a friend now.

He has a friend.

He wishes he could remember this feeling. He wants to feel it again in the future.

* * *

This was how it began.

And this is how it falls apart.

* * *

"Shouto," his father calls for him, eyes cold. "That student you kidnapped...is he still here?"

He should have lied. He should have lied and said no. "Yes, he's still here."

"Bring him to me. I want to have a talk with him."

* * *

His father specializes in torture.

He taught him how to kill for a quick death, for a prolonged death, for a pained death.

When he begins screaming, Todoroki shuts his eyes and cowers by the door.

When his father leaves, he enters with the first aid.

He cleans the wounds first, cauterizing what was cut and cooling what was burned.

He asks over and over what he needs: water, food, a pillow.

Then he cleans.

He cleans the floor of the blood.

He cleans the knives of lingering tissues.

He throws away the fingers and toes and indistinguishable tissue littered on the floor.

When he's done, he's by his side again, cradling his head on his lap.

 _ _I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.__

The words fall from his lips over and over.

Then his father comes back and Todoroki leaves.

He repeats the process.

Again. And again. And again.

* * *

Todoroki fears he will lose his sanity, but whenever he comes back he's still the same.

Still defiant.

Still profanity-spitting and ass-kicking.

And he doesn't know what was worse.

* * *

"Please," Todoroki begs, "Give in. Just give him what he wants. Do what he says and he won't hurt you."

And the response is always the same, "I rather die."

* * *

 _ _I rather die.__

 _ _I rather you live.__

* * *

He hates his father.

He hates Bakugou.

He hates everything and everyone.

He hates his life and his weakness.

"Shouto, I want you to hurt him."

"H...hurt him?" He hates how his voice shakes.

"Yes, he seems to take a liking to you." He hates how it's true.

"You know what to do. Incinerate what you want but keep him alive. I still want him functioning."

 _ _No. I refuse.__ He hates how he couldn't say those words.

* * *

When he enters his room and watch him tense up, bracing himself, it breaks his heart.

Then his eye caught his and they relax.

Because it's him.

It's enough for him to falter halfway and fall, stifling the rising sobs as best as he could.

He fails.

* * *

 _ _I'm sorry.__

* * *

He cleans up like he always does.

Floor.

Knives.

Appendages.

He lingers by him, hand faltering. Is he scared of him now? Should he just leave? What should he do?

But Bakugou decides that for him.

And Todoroki cradles his head on his lap, brushing the hair from his eye.

* * *

He shouldn't cry. Not when he's using his quirk.

He doesn't want to hurt him any more than he is.

But the tears won't listen to his command.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Then he would bark, "Stop crying. God damn it, stop crying. You shouldn't be crying. Why the fuck are you crying?"

And he just cries harder.

* * *

Bakugou has nice smiles.

* * *

He dies eventually.

By his father's hands, not his.

It might as well be his.

Todoroki cuts him into pieces and boxes him.

His father stood over him as he pack without a word.

* * *

His father hands him something. "Take this to U.A. Drop this and the box off on the front doors."

Todoroki looks at what he was given.

It was a black box with 5 buttons.

He presses the one with the sideways triangle.

His screams fill his ears and Todoroki nearly crushes the device in his hand.

* * *

He stands at U.A. doors, a hoodie covering his face from being seen.

He looks at the box and recorder he just dropped.

A note is tapped to the top.

He knows who it is addressed to.

 _ _They'll be hurt,__ he thought, __I can take it away and burn it.__

But he walks away quickly.

 _ _It's not fair for them not to know.__

In his pocket, he crushes the black box.

* * *

He stops by a store on his way back.

 _ _You're even allowed to buy food.__

He holds a bag of chips in his hands.

 _ _What are you doing here?__

* * *

He makes one more trip.

The attendants greet him, ask him what he needs.

"Just some antifreeze."

* * *

He waits for his father, finger tracing the insignia on the door to their lair.

He tries to light it.

It didn't open.

* * *

His room is silent.

* * *

He knocks on his father's door.

Put the tea down.

And waited.

* * *

 _Author's notes:_

 _Sooooooooooo…I don't really have anything to say other than my romance writing ability is absolutely zero. Kisses, hand holding, every lovey dovey act is something I'm not good at, in writing and real life, and I really like angst in my stories so you have this instead of something sappy._

 _Sorry if some parts were kind of ehhhhh, I normally need a month in advance to write and I just found out about this ship week three days before it started._

 _But if you read to the end, thank you so much!_


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